Connection between security radios in Maidstone and the Medway CCTV monitoring centre fails up to five times a day for as long as ten minutes

The connection between security radios in Maidstone and the CCTV monitoring centre in Medway is failing up to five times a day, it has been revealed.

It was reported at a Town Centre Management meeting that the broadband link between the MaidSafe system in the town and the Strood-based monitoring centre repeatedly fails for periods up to ten minutes.

MaidSafe is the crime reduction partnership which allows security radio users in the town to communicate issues with each other and other users, including the police and CCTV monitoring service.

The radio link between clubs and shops in Maidstone and the CCTV monitoring centre in Medway can fail five times a day.

Town Centre Management's Paul Alcock confirmed that the problem means that at certain points when shops and clubs radio through to the control room to request CCTV coverage they cannot be heard and coverage cannot be provided.

Mr Alcock added that the issue had fortunately not led to any serious incidents and that as soon as the connection fails staff in the Mall and Fremlin Walk contact the Medway centre, although there is a delay as they are only able to communicate using telephones.

Town Centre Management's Paul Alcock acknowledges the issue needs to be rectified.

Speaking at the nighttime economy meeting retail crime reduction manager Peter Cackett confirmed that radio engineers are aware of the problem and are working to find a permanent solution.

Mr Cackett said that the problem is only affecting radio communication to the Medway centre and not between radios in the town.

Adding that the issue has arisen since the monitoring of the cameras was moved to Medway in April 2012 and is reportedly also occurring in Swale.

Gravesham and Medway, who are the other members of partnership, are unaffected.

CCTV cameras in Maidstone are monitored at a centre in Strood.

A Maidstone Borough Council spokesman confirmed that whilst there is an issue with radio communication, CCTV monitoring has never failed.

He said: "The link between the cameras and the control room has never dropped out and is very resilient.

"There are two permanent fibre optic cables linking our cameras in Maidstone with the control centre in Medway.

"There has never been any problem with the link but if something did happen to one of the cables the other one is more than capable of maintaining the service.”